After a 10-year slog at work, my boss agreed to my taking a year-long sabbatical. We used this to revisit south-east Asia – not to relive past travelling glories of my 20s (where my destinations usually revolved around partying). Instead we floated around the more “cultured” parts that were not on my radar in days gone by – South Korea, Japan, Taiwan (a revelation) and more remote areas of the Philippines and Indonesia.
I could list a hundred special moments and locations over the year – but the memory I revisit in my head the most is my daily moped drive to a beach on the Karimunjawa islands in Indonesia. It’s not the crystal-clear sea, smiling locals or amazing food that sticks, but the feeling of absolute freedom and euphoric joy that made me smile from ear to ear on that ride, sometimes laughing to myself hysterically for no reason (I must have looked a bit crazy). It’s joy that I felt from simply being alive.
It’s a feeling that can be elusive in life and one I cherish so much. Benjamin Hands down, my tip is to check out Wwoofing (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). This organisation (operating in more than 130 countries) pairs you with a farm or business requiring a helping hand, for which you’ll receive food and board (you can apply based on type of work, length of stay, and location).
It’s an excellent way to save money and see new places. In 2017, during a university exchange semester, I wound up Wwoofing in Chamonix, riding horses as “wo.